Method of making bags and the like



July 6, 1937. A. POTDEVIN ET AL 2,035,756

METHOD OF MAKING BAGS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l Mmza ATTORNEYS July 6, 1937. A. POTDEVIN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING mes AND THE LIKE 2 em a m E m WM w A 1 E @a a wV/C. w e I. A h S v 3 Km Y B I a 4. r w .Q M S 9 l P w m e S w u \k F July 6, 1937. A. POTDEVIN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING BAGS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 29, 1934 Patented July i937 METHOD OF Adolph Potdevin, Garden City, and George E.

Hampton, New York, N. Y., ,assignors to Potdevin Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 29, 1934, Serial No. 746,082

21 Claims.

and the top end of the bag length trimmed;

while in still another procedure herein illustrated and described the bag material is first partially 15 cut off, this operation being followed by a finish cut-oif, and finally the top end of the bag length is trimmed.

It is to be noted that in the last two procedures above referred to the top end of the bag length,

i. e., that end of the bag length which is to constitute the top of the bag, is trimmed. This procedure is of advantage with bags of cellulose acetate and cellulose hydrate particularly, inasmuch as these materials are quite brittle and- 25 crack and tear readily. If' the tube material when being divided into bag lengths is cracked at the corner or corners, the trimming operation removes. this cracked portion, and cracking of the bag at the corners is eliminated.

As will be brought out ,hereinafter when a rolling pinch cut is employed. in the first or partial severing operation a smooth cut-off is assured. In the accompanying drawings: 7

Fig. l is a sectional elevational view illustrat ing one embodiment of our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating one method of cutting out or trimming the corners 40 of the bag length;

Fig. 4 is an explanatory view illustrating the various steps of our process with reference to Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view similar to Fig. 1 of another embodiment of our invention;

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are explanatory views having particular reference to the procedure followed in Fig. 5; v

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 5 of still I another embodiment of our invention; and

Fig. 10 is an explanatory view having particular reference to the procedure followed in Fig. 4.

Referring first of all to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and.4. In .13 these figures the material from which the bags are to be made and which is designated I is fedv to the machine and as it passes into the machine it is tubed as shown in Fig. 2. The tubing mechanism is not illustrated in detail inasmuch as the same may be well known commercial apparatus and is not claimed herein.

It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that the material l is tubed about a cut-off plate designated 2 mounted on the tubing mechanism. This plate is a thin flat plate with upper and lower plane faces and is adapted to be reciprocated length- -wise of the machine in timed relation with the other mechanism of the machine, as will be.

brought out fully hereinafter. The cut-oif plate is adapted to be advanced in the direction of the travel of the material I by cut-ofi blades or cutters 3 and 4 which are mounted in cut-off rollers 5 and 6, respectively, and to be retracted by a lever I pivoted at 8, one-end of this lever extending through the tail of the cut-off plate Z as shown at 9. x

The plate engaging end of theretracting lever 1 I is positively actuated bycam -10 driven by a.

chain H, for instance, it being understood, of course, that this cam or eccentric I0 is driven in timed relation with the rest of the machine so that the cut-ofi plate 2 will be retracted in the proper timed relation to the operation of the.

cut-off blades or knives 3 and 4.

Between the tail or rear end of the cut-off plate 2 and the cut-off rollers 5 and 6 we provide forwarding rollers I2, the function of which is to advance the tubed material continuously through the machineto the cut-off rollers 5 and 6. r The cutters 3 and 4 are set into the face of the rollers 5 and 6 'as will be seen fromthe drawings and are held in place by screws l3, a land l4 being set into the face of each roller beside the cutter.-

It will be appreciated that when the cut-oil plate 2 is not being advanced by the cutters 3 'and 4 and lands it is free to be retracted positively by the retracting lever I.

I The cut-ofi rollers 5 and 6 are so set with respect to each other that the cutter 3, for example, will perform its operation ahead of the cutter 4 which will provide a projecting flap on the lower wall of the bag material. This order of operation of the cutters 3 .and 4 may be reversed. The cut-ofi rollers 5 and 6 are adjustable circumferentially so as to vary the operation of the knives or cutters 3 and- 4.

The cutters 3 and 4 are smooth edged, i. e., not serrated, and are curved when viewed in plan, as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be apprea speed.

ciated that when the leading cutter, the cutter 3 as illustrated in the drawings, engages the lower wall of the tubed material I it will roll over the plane face of the hard metal cut-01f plate 2 to cut through the lower wall .of the tubed the cutter 4 which rolls over the upper plane face of the cut-offplate 2 partially to divide the upper wall of the tubed material I with a rolling pinch cut as shown at '2", the plate 2 in this operation bearing against the land H! in the lower roller 5 and moving forward at cutter During this partial severing or dividing opera- 1 tion the bag tubing is being engaged by the rollers so as to keep the tubing from plugging.

Inasmuch as the cutters 3 and 4 engage only the plane faces of the cut-ofi plate 2 it will be appreciated that the edges of'the tubed material for a distance at least equal to the thickness of the cut-off plate are still uncut. This is shown in Fig. 4 on a somewhat exaggerated scale for the sake of clarity. I

The severing or dividing operation is completed by the cutters [8 carried by the rollers l9 to which the tube is next advanced, these cutters cooperating with plain rollers so as to cut through the tube at the corners as shown at 2| in Fig. 4. Up to .this point, therefore, we have provided for partially severing the tube material I transversely by the action of the cutters 3 and 4 and the cut-off plate 2, this severing or dividing operation as above pointed out being a rolling pinch cut, the severing operation'being completed with the knives or cutters l8 as just described. 7 The bag length, at this point, will have a projecting tab 2| at each corner of the leading end of the bag length, this end later to be bottomed in finishing the bag, while the trailing end of the bag length will have a complementary cutout. This end of the bag length eventually is to be the top end of the finished bag.

Beyond the rollers l9 and 20 we provide pairs of rollers 22 and 23. The rollers 22 are equipped with cams 24 for controlling cutter or punch op.- erating levers 25 each. of which is pivoted at 26. A die plate 2'! lies below the advancing bag length, and springs 28 have one end secured to this die plate and their other ends to the free ends of the levers 25, as seen in Fig. 1.

Attached to the levers 25 are die plungers 29 cooperating with the die plate 21 to cut outor trim the corners of the trailing end of bag length ferred to made thereby are such that when the end of the tube is opened up as illustrated in Fig. 3 the bottom 3i of each cut-out is practically straight, that is, substantially at right angles to the edges 3 l of the bag length. As a consequence there are no sharp corners for a tear to start in the top end of the tube, particularly at the point whre the material is folded in tubing; and if in the operation of severing or dividing the-tubing into bag lengths initially the corners of the bag length become shattered or cracked these shattered or cracked portions will be removed by the cutters or punches 29 in the trimming operation.

With this embodiment of our invention, therefore, we provide for a partial .division of the tubed materialas by a rolling pinch cut, followed by a completion of the dividing operation with rotary cutters l8, this operation or step being followed by a trimming operation as by cutting out the corners of the trailing end of the bag length, as above explained.

Referring now to the embodiment of our invention as illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. In this embodiment of our invention the cutters I8 of Figs. 1 and 2 are omitted and the segmental rollers 22 and the rollers 23 are driven at a higher peripheral speed than the rollers l5 so that when .the rollers 22 and 23 engage the partially severed bag length as explained in connection with the first embodiment of our invention described above.

In this embodiment of the invention, however, i

we have changed the shape of the die plungers and cooperating plate, the die plungers 32 which correspond to the die plungers 29 of Fig. 1 being so shaped that the bottom 33 of each of the cutouts 34, with the tubed material flat, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, will be below the outer edge 35 of each cut-out, that is, below the edges of the tube, with the result that when the tubed material is opened up as illustrated in Fig. 7 the bottom of each notch is in the form of an inverted V which we have designated 36. Consequently if tension is placed on the tube in the direction of the arrows on Fig. -7, tending to tear the tube at the corners, the tension is transferred from the edge of the end of the tube to below the apex 3B of the inverted Vs 36 practically necessitating bursting of the material of the tube below the apex of each V before atear can start.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 we have eliminated the final trimming operation above referred to. Here we partially divide the tubed material as before with a rolling pinch cut and then finish the dividing operation with the cutters l8, leaving tabs 42 at the bottoming end of the bag length with a complementary cut-back or cut-out 43 at the top end of the bag length. 7

Comparing the several steps taken in the practice of our invention: As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, for instance, it will beseen that we partiallydivide the tubed material with a rolling pinch out, following this operation with a rolling cut-off to finish-the severing operation, this in turn being followed by cutting out or trimming the corners of the trailing end or top end of the bag length or tube, this trimming step reducing to aminimum the likelihood of the bag length or the finished bag tearing at the corners of the top end; in Figs. 5,6, 7 and 8 we eliminate the second step of Fig. 1 or rather we substitute the second step with a tearing operation, following the tearing operation by cutting out or trimming the corners of the trailing or top end of the tube; while in Figs. 9 and 10 we partially divide the tilbe with a rolling pinch cut and then finish the dividing operation with a cut-back positive rolling'cut.

It will be seen that in all cases the top .end of the bag length, i. e., that end which is to compose the top of a finished bag is free of sharp corners so as to reduce to a minimum likelihood of the bag tearing at the corners of the top, and that in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 10 the bottom end of the bag length is provided with a projecting tab at the corners which, as will be understood, will be fold ed in with the bottom in the bottoming operation.

We have found that our inventionhas great merit when dealing with materials such as cellulose acetate, cellulose hydrate, glassine and the like, which not only tear very readily but which materials are quite brittle so that if the corners of the top end of the bag or bag length are at all splintered or cracked, which our method avoids, there is great likelihood of tearing at these points. By cutting back or trimming the corners of the tube, as above explained, the splintered material, if any exists, is removed'so that we are assured of smooth corners in the top end of every bag length.

We submit it will be evident, furthermore, that if the corners of the tube are cut out or trimmed, as illustrated both in Figs. 4 and 8, the likelihood of tearing. the tube at these corners is still further reduced; as a matter of fact, with the corners cut back or trimmed as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 it is practically necessary to burst the material below the apex of the Vs 36 before a tear can be started.

we havedescribed the cut-off plate 2 as being positively retracted by lever I. It is to be understood, however, that if desired this cam controlled lever mechanism may be substituted by the arrangement shown in the copending application of Paul Hunziker, Serial No. 647,502, filed December 16,1932, in which the cut-oif plate is spring retracted.

We wish it to be understood also that the die plungers 29 and 32 of Figs. 1 and 5 together with their cooperating plates may be substituted by other mechanism.

Obviously various other changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts herein described within the spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim is:-

1. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, andcutting the tube edges with a curved cut to provide a bag length with a concave cut at the opposite corners of one end thereof.

2. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and on the further advance of the tubing cutting the opposite edges of the advancing tubing with a curved cut ,to provide a bag length with a concave cut at the opposite corners of the trailing end of the bag length.

3. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths. and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation.

4. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially todivide the tubing into bag lengths, and on the further advance of the tubing cutting through the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing to finish the dividing operation.

5. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through thelupper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges with a rolling out to finish the dividing operation.

6. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tubing with a rolling pinch cut transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent theopposite edge, par-- tially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and i on the further advance of the tubing cutting through the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing with a rolling out to finish the dividing operation.

7. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge at bag length intervals with a smooth rolling pinch cut, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation.

8. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material about a flat plate, rolling a pair of cutters over the smooth plane faces of the movable head of this plate to cut through the upper and lower walls of the tubing at bag length intervals with a rolling pinch cut from adjacent one'edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation.

9. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to ad,- jacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation, and then trimming the opposite corners of the trailing edge of the bag length.

10. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, on the further advancing of the tubing cutting through the uncut portions 0f the edges of the advancing tubing to finish the dividing operation, and then trimming the opposite corners of the trailing edge of the bag length.

11. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tube with a rolling pinch out transversely of the tubing from adjacent one.

edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and on the further advance of the tubing cut ting through the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing with a rolling out to finish the dividing operation, and finally trimming the opposite corners of the trailing edge of the bag length.

12. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag ma terial, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one-edge of the tubing to adjacent 'the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation, and finally trimming the opposite corners of the end of the bag length to provide a cut-back at said corners so shaped that when the bag length is opened the bottom.

of each of these cut-backs will be substantiallyat right angles to the-sides of the bag length.

r with a rolling pinch cut from adjacentlone edge 13. In the-making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges with a rolling out to finish the dividing operation, corners of the trailing end of the bag length to provide a cut-back at said corners so shaped that when the bag length is opened the bottom of each of these cut-backs will be substantially at right angles to the sides of the bag length.

14. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially to divide the tubing'into bag lengths, on the further advance of the tubing cutting through the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing to finish the dividing operation, and finally trimming the opposite corners of the trailing end of the advancing bag length to provide a cut-back at said corners so shaped that when the bag length is opened the bottom of each of these cut-backs will be substantially at right angles to the'sides of the bag length."

15. In the making of bags and the like, the

-method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the. tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges with a rolling cut'to finish the dividing operation, and finally trimming the opposite corners of the top end and finally trimming the opposite of the bag length to provide a cut-back at said corners so shaped that when the tube is opened the bottom of each of these cut-backs will be substantially at right angles to the edges of the bag length.

16. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation,

and finally trimming the opposite corners of the top end of the bag length to provide cut-backs so shaped that.the bottom of each of said cutbacks forms an inverted V when the bag length is opened.

17. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material whi le continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper andlower walls of the advancing tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, on the further advance of the tubing cutting through the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing to finish the dividing operation, and finally trimming the opposite corners of the trailing end of the bag length to provide cut-backs so shaped that the bottom of each of the cut-backs forms an inverted V when the bag length is opened.

18. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag'lengths, and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges with a: curved cut to finish the dividing operation and to provide a bag length with concave cut-backs at the opposite corners of the trailing end and with complementary tabs at the leading end.

19. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material while continuously advancing the same, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the advancing tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the opposite edge, partially to divide the tubing into bag lengths, and on the further advance of the tubing cuttingthrough the uncut portions of the edges of the advancing tubing with a curved cut to finish the dividing operation and to provide the trailing end of the bag length with a concave out at opposite corners and the leading end of the bag length with a complementary tab.

20. In the making of bags and the like, the method which comprises tubing the bag material, cuttlng through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partiallyto divide the tubing into bag lengths, and then cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to finish the dividing operation and to provide a cut-back at each side of one end of the tube complementary to the opposite end of the tube, said cut-back being so 2,085,766 I 21. In the making of bags and the like, themethod which comprises tubing the bag material, cutting through the upper and lower walls of the tubing transversely of the tubing from adjacent one edge of the tubing to adjacent the other edge, partia11y to divide the tubing into bag lengths, andthen cutting through the uncut portions of the tube edges to-finish the dividing operation and to provide a cut-back at each side of the tube so shaped that when the tube is opened the bottom of each of these cut-backs will form an inverted V. 1

ADOLPH POTDEVIN. GEORGE E. HAMPTON. 

